Free Hamlet Essays - The Character of Polonius
Polonius is the chief counsellor to Claudius, and although there is no evidence , it is possible that he had held a position at court under Hamlet's father, the old King. He is certainly trusted and held in high regard by Claudius, who tells Laertes that his father is extremely important to Denmark:
"The head is not more native to the heart
The hand more instrumental to the mouth
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father."
It is tempting to dismiss Polonius as a fool and, as Hamlet calls him a "prating knave", because of his pomposity and his tedious pedantry, but to do so would be unwise. He is indeed irritating, but he is not stupid. Foolish, perhaps, in his stubborn belief that he knows best what is the cause of Hamlet's madness, but it is an astute guess, given what he knows about the love affair between Ophelia and the prince, and the evidence of the letter which he shows to the King. He is not, however, always likeable and it is unclear as to whether his children love him, or just accord him healthy respect. There seems to be evidence that it is Laertes to whom Ophelia feels closer than to her father, as it is he whom she tells about Hamlet's affections and there is a terse note in Polonius's dialogue with his daughter, especially after the nunnery scene, when her evident distress is curtly dismissed by her father. Polonius is clearly unscrupulous about setting spies on his children, as we see when Reynaldo is sent to Paris to check Laertes' behaviour. It is also obvious that Polonius is well aware of Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet and that he has been reported to about it, so presumably his spies are at work in the court all the time. He is quick to suggest that Ophelia is used as a decoy to observe Hamlet's "madness" and as we have seen , seems unmoved by her distress when Hamlet renounces her. It is at his suggestion that all the eavesdropping takes place and fittingly it is as a result of this that he is accidentally killed by Hamlet in the closet scene. His death is dismissed by Hamlet, who is consistently critical of Polonius and shows no respect for him at all.
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